


First Steps

by Aizu (ratpenatu)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Bonding Over Cowboys, First Dates, Fluff, Horses Are The Best Okay?, M/M, Single Parent!Gabriel, kid!Jesse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 15:03:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9662579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratpenatu/pseuds/Aizu
Summary: Dad is going out on adateand Jesse doesn't like it.He did promise to be nice to the man who is coming to pick up Dad, though.





	

**Author's Note:**

> for Reaper76 Valentine’s Event Day 1: "First Date"
> 
> this is basically the beginning of "jack's adventures in step-parenting" because you can bet your ass he's there to stay

 

Dad was nervous. Jesse could tell because he walked in and out of the living room five times in a span of 2 minutes. He just stood there in the entrance for a few seconds, glancing at the clock on the wall or at the cartoons playing on the tv, and then disappeared back into the hallway. Jesse had never seen his dad act this way before and he didn’t like it. Mainly, because he knew the reason behind it.

 

Dad was going on a _date_.

 

Jesse hugged his stuffed horse closer to his face, hoping it would hide his pout. Dad sat him down earlier and they had a talk about what was happening, so Jesse was trying his best to not _not_ like it but it was hard, okay? He hadn’t even seen the man his dad was going on a date with yet but he could already tell it was someone _stupid_. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

 

The doorbell rang out and Jesse almost jumped from his seat on the sofa. He heard dad rushing to the door and soon enough, there was a new voice in the house. Dad’s date had a low rumbly laughter that sounded strange and kinda scary, though it did remind Jesse of Grandpa Rein. He sank lower in the cushions, wishing the pillows would just swallow him up.

 

“Babysitter should be here any minute now,” Dad was saying. “You can go say hi to Jesse while I put this away. He’s in the living room. Jesse! Be nice!”

 

 _Oh no_. Jesse’s eyes snapped back to the tv screen. Maybe if he pretended to be _really_ busy, the man wouldn’t bother him. That’s what adults say: don’t bother someone who’s busy. Like when dad is on the phone with someone and Jesse has to wait till he’s done to ask him a question.

 

“Hello.”

 

Still, Jesse couldn’t help but glance at the man at the sound of his voice. He stood there, at the entrance to the room, wearing a long blue coat and a black funnel scarf, smiling kindly. Jesse blinked at him, slightly taken aback. He looked nothing like Jesse imagined. He was kinda pretty, with blond hair and light skin.

 

“You are Jesse, right? Nice to meet you. I’m Jack.” He gave Jesse a small wave.

 

“I know. Dad told me,” Jesse replied. Then he remembered he was supposed to be pretending to be busy and looked away.

 

It must have not worked well because Jack walked further into the room. He stopped by the couch, thankfully keeping his distance. Jesse didn’t know what he would do if the man actually sat down beside him.

 

“Cowboys, huh?” Jack said, nodding at the tv. “Was a pretty big fan of them myself back in the day.”

 

Jesse perked up at that but he refused to give the man an opening and lure him into a conversation.

 

“I remember getting so obsessed with _Lucky Luke_ that I refused to answer to any name that wasn’t Luke,” Jack continued despite Jesse’s silence. “Or take off my hat for meals. I even named my horse after Jolly Jumper.”

 

At _that_ , Jesse’s eyes went wide.

 

“You have a horse?!” He turned to Jack fully, bouncing slightly on the soft cushions of the sofa.

 

“Kinda,” Jack chuckled. “My aunt runs a stable not far from my family farm back in Indiana. I used to help her out every summer, taking care of the horses and later teaching kids how to ride. On my 10th birthday, she let me name one of the new foals, said it would be my responsibility from now on. And so I named it Jolly, my pride and joy.”

 

“That’s so cool!” Jesse felt excitement building up in him. It would be so awesome to ride a real horse! And sit in the saddle, wearing spurs and a shiny sheriff star, tipping his hat at people walking by with a cheerful ‘Howdy!’ just like a real cowboy! “Could you teach me, too?”

 

“Oh, um…” Jack hesitated, surprised by the request. “I mean, yeah, sure, if we ever get a chance–”

 

As soon as Jack agreed, Jesse grinned, stood on the sofa and launched himself at the older man. Jack got his hands out of his coat’s pockets just in time to catch him but he visibly paled from the sudden fright.

 

“Oh God, please give me a heads-up next time.” He adjusted Jesse in his arms. “Gabe would kill me if I dropped you…”

 

“Look!” Jesse exclaimed, ignoring Jack’s words, showing off his stuffed horse. “That’s my horse! I got him from my dad last week. I wanted a real horse but dad said that horses don’t live in houses and it wouldn’t feel good here. His name is Barry! Barry, say hi to Jack. He is going on a _date_ with dad.”

 

“Jesse!”

 

Both of them startled at the shout, turning their heads to the door. Dad rushed to them, taking Jesse out of Jack’s arms.

 

“I _told_ you to be nice, you little troublemaker,” he scolded gently.

 

“I _was_ nice!” Jesse protested at the same time as Jack said, “He was nice.”

 

Dad looked at them both suspiciously. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah!” Jesse huffed. Then grinned and bounced in his dad’s arms. “Dad, dad! Did you know that Jack had a horse? And that he knows how to ride them?”

 

“Of course, I did,” Dad replied patiently. “We are friends after all, remember?”

 

“And he said he would teach me how to ride, too!”

 

Dad raised his eyebrows. “Did he, now?”

 

Jack smiled awkwardly when two pairs of eyes turned to him expectantly, putting his hands back into his coat’s pockets.

 

“If you are alright with it and we find time, then why not?” Jack shrugged. “Fareeha loves it when I take her horse riding.”

 

“You know Fareeha?” Jesse asked.

 

Fareeha was a year younger than Jesse but she had been his best friend ever since he moved here with his dad. Her mom was amazing, too, always having _the best_ sweets on hand when he came to their house.

 

Jack grinned at him.

 

“I’m her god-father,” he said proudly. Then he faltered a little. “I mean, kinda. Not religiously. Ana’s not Christian. I guess she just humours me? And Fareeha likes it, so, yeah…”

 

Jesse frowned. He turned his head to look at Dad and yanked at his shirt. “Dad, what’s a god-father?”

 

“He’s a _compadre_. It means that Jack and Mrs.Amari are very close friends and he helps her out a lot,” Dad explained, and quieter, he added, “It also means Fareeha gets a lot of presents for her birthday…”

 

Doorbell rang again, stopping any further questions that Jesse may or may not had.

 

“That must be Angela,” Dad said.

 

“Oh! I wanna open the door for her! Can I? Dad, dad, please!” Jesse started wriggling and Dad put him down with a sigh.

 

Jesse dashed to the front door as soon as his feet hit the ground. He got on his toes to pull at the handle and grinned at the sight of his babysitter. Angela was super cool and stayed with him whenever dad had to go out. Dad said she was a student which meant she didn’t sleep much and read a lot of books. He reached to her with his arms and she dutifully picked him up.

 

“Hey there, little cowboy. Good evening, Mr. Reyes, Mr. Morrison.” She smiled over his shoulder and Jesse looked back to see that Dad and Jack followed him to the hallway. “Sorry for being late.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Dad waved it off. “I got your text.”

 

He started getting ready, putting on his beanie and jacket, while Jack asked Angela about her classes. Jesse’s eyes flickered between the two of them, wondering if they, too, knew each other.

 

“A lot of reading but I think I am doing pretty good. It’s only the first year so it’s mainly all theory.”

 

“It’ll be a lot of hard work but you already knew this,” Jack said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Your parents would be really proud of you, you know?”

 

“Yeah, I hope so.” Angela smiled a little sadly at that. Jesse felt her arms tightening around him so he patted her gently on the head to cheer her up. She chuckled and brought their foreheads together. “You are the sweetest, Jesse.”

 

“I will have to tell Ana to stop feeding him so much candy, then.” Dad came over, all dressed up and ready to go. He handed Angela a few banknotes. “You know where everything is, Jesse’s curfew didn’t change, and if you get hungry feel free to help yourself to the fridge. I will be back at around seven, seven thirty at the latest. Call me if anything happens, ‘kay?”

 

“Of course. Don’t worry and just enjoy yourself for once, Mr. Reyes. You two have a good time, _ja_?” Angela pocketed the money away and sent both men a smile.

 

Jack grinned back, repeating her _ja_ , while Dad stepped forward to kiss Jesse on the cheek and ruffle his hair.

 

“Be good, _mijo_.”

 

Then he opened the front door and held it still for Jack.

 

“Bye, guys!” Jack weaved at them before stepping out and Jesse found himself waving back.

 

“Bye, Jack! Bye, Dad!”

 

“Bye, bye.” Dad winked at him and only when the door closed behind them did Jesse stop waving.

 

Well, maybe it won’t be so bad, Jesse thought to himself as Angela put him down to take off her own jacket. Jack did like Dad so he couldn’t be that stupid, right? _And_ he had horses.

 

Horses were _the best_. 

**Author's Note:**

> trivia time!  
> \- when jack was small he taught his dog to play dead when he mock-shot him with his fingers so they could act the "this town aint big enough for both of us" together  
> \- jesse's obsession with cowboys is actually pretty recent here but boy, it aint going nowhere any time soon. or ever.  
> \- yes, jack and gabe met through ana. a family can be a dad, step-dad, mom, two kids, grandpa reinhardt and three dogs  
> \- also, it was so weird to refer to gabe throughout the whole thing only as "dad"...


End file.
